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M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

The classic M'Cheyne plan--read the Old Testament, New Testament, and Psalms or Gospels every day.

Duration: 365 days

Exodus 2

The Birth of the Deliverer

2 ^[a] A man from the household^[b] of Levi married^[c] a woman who was a descendant of Levi.^[d] ²The woman became pregnant^[e] and gave birth to a son. When^[f] she saw that^[g] he was a healthy^[h] child, she hid him for three months. ³But when she was no longer able to hide him, she took a papyrus basket^[i] for him and sealed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and set it among the reeds along the edge of the Nile.^[j] ⁴His sister stationed herself^[k] at a distance to find out^[l] what would^[m] happen to him.

⁵Then the daughter of Pharaoh^[n] came down to wash herself^[o] by the Nile, while her attendants were walking alongside the river,^[p] and she saw the basket among the reeds. She sent one of her attendants,^[q] took it,^[r] ⁶opened it,^[s] and saw the child^[t]—a boy,^[u] crying!^[v]—and she felt compassion^[w] for him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.”

⁷Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and get^[x] a nursing woman^[y] for you from the Hebrews, so that she may nurse^[z] the child for you?” ⁸Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Yes, do so.”^[aa] So the young girl^[ab] went and got^[ac] the child’s mother.^[ad] ⁹Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child^[ae] and nurse him for me, and I will pay your^[af] wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him.

¹⁰When the child grew older^[ag] she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son.^[ah] She named him Moses, saying, “Because I drew him from the water.”^[ai]

The Presumption of the Deliverer

¹¹^[aj] In those days,^[ak] when^[al] Moses had grown up, he went out to his people^[am] and observed^[an] their hard labor, and he saw an Egyptian man attacking^[ao] a Hebrew man, one of his own people.^[ap] ¹²He looked this way and that^[aq] and saw that no one was there,^[ar] and then he attacked^[as] the Egyptian and concealed the body^[at] in the sand. ¹³When he went out^[au] the next day,^[av] there were^[aw] two Hebrew men fighting. So he said to the one who was in the wrong,^[ax] “Why are you attacking^[ay] your fellow Hebrew?”^[az]

¹⁴The man^[ba] replied, “Who made you a ruler^[bb] and a judge over us? Are you planning^[bc] to kill me like you killed that^[bd] Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid, thinking,^[be] “Surely what I did^[bf] has become known.” ¹⁵When Pharaoh heard^[bg] about this event,^[bh] he sought to kill Moses. So Moses fled^[bi] from Pharaoh and settled in the land of Midian,^[bj] and he settled^[bk] by a certain well.^[bl]

¹⁶Now a priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came and began to draw^[bm] water^[bn] and fill^[bo] the troughs in order to water their father’s flock. ¹⁷When some^[bp] shepherds came and drove them away,^[bq] Moses came up and defended them^[br] and then watered their flock. ¹⁸So when they came home^[bs] to their father Reuel,^[bt] he asked, “Why have you come home so early^[bu] today?” ¹⁹They said, “An Egyptian man rescued us^[bv] from the shepherds,^[bw] and he actually^[bx] drew water for us and watered the flock!” ²⁰He said^[by] to his daughters, “So where is he?^[bz] Why in the world^[ca] did you leave the man? Call him, so that he may eat^[cb] a meal^[cc] with us.”

²¹Moses agreed^[cd] to stay with the man, and he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage.^[ce] ²²When she bore^[cf] a son, Moses^[cg] named him Gershom, for he said, “I have become a resident foreigner in a foreign land.”^[ch]

The Call of the Deliverer

²³^[ci] During^[cj] that long period of time^[ck] the king of Egypt died, and the Israelites^[cl] groaned because of the slave labor. They cried out, and their desperate cry^[cm] because of their slave labor went up to God. ²⁴God heard their groaning;^[cn] God remembered^[co] his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. ²⁵God saw^[cp] the Israelites, and God understood.^[cq]

Footnotes

Exodus 2:1 sn The chapter records the exceptional survival of Moses under the decree of death by Pharaoh (vv. 1-10), the flight of Moses from Pharaoh after killing the Egyptian (vv. 11-15), the marriage of Moses (vv. 16-22), and finally a note about the Lord’s hearing the sighing of the people in bondage (vv. 23-25). The first part is the birth. The Bible has several stories about miraculous or special births and deliverances of those destined to lead Israel. Their impact is essentially to authenticate the individual’s ministry. If the person’s beginning was providentially provided and protected by the Lord, then the mission must be of divine origin too. In this chapter the plot works around the decree for the death of the children—a decree undone by the women. The second part of the chapter records Moses’ flight and marriage. Having introduced the deliverer Moses in such an auspicious way, the chapter then records how this deliverer acted presumptuously and had to flee for his life. Any deliverance God desired had to be supernatural, as the chapter’s final note about answering prayer shows.
Exodus 2:1 tn Heb “house.” In other words, the tribe of Levi.
Exodus 2:1 tn Heb “went and took”; NASB “went and married.”
Exodus 2:1 tn Heb “a daughter of Levi.” The word “daughter” is used in the sense of “descendant” and connects the new account with Pharaoh’s command in 1:22. The words “a woman who was” are added for clarity in English.sn The first part of this section is the account of hiding the infant (vv. 1-4). The marriage, the birth, the hiding of the child, and the positioning of Miriam, are all faith operations that ignore the decree of Pharaoh or work around it to preserve the life of the child.
Exodus 2:2 tn Or “conceived” (KJV, ASV, NAB, NASB, NRSV).
Exodus 2:2 tn A preterite form with the vav consecutive can be subordinated to a following clause. What she saw stands as a reason for what she did: “when she saw…she hid him three months.”
Exodus 2:2 tn After verbs of perceiving or seeing there are frequently two objects, the formal accusative (“she saw him”) and then a noun clause that explains what it was about the child that she perceived (“that he was healthy”). See GKC 365 §117.h.
Exodus 2:2 tn Or “fine” (טוֹב, tov). The construction is parallel to phrases in the creation narrative (“and God saw that it was good,” Gen 1:4, 10, 12, 17, 21, 25, 31). B. Jacob says, “She looked upon her child with a joy similar to that of God upon His creation (Gen 1.4ff.)” (Exodus, 25).
Exodus 2:3 sn See on the meaning of this basket C. Cohen, “Hebrew tbh: Proposed Etymologies,” JANESCU 9 (1972): 36-51. This term is used elsewhere only to refer to the ark of Noah. It may be connected to the Egyptian word for “chest.”
Exodus 2:3 sn The circumstances of the saving of the child Moses have prompted several attempts by scholars to compare the material to the Sargon myth. See R. F. Johnson, IDB 3:440-50; for the text see L. W. King, Chronicles concerning Early Babylonian Kings, 2:87-90. Those who see the narrative using the Sargon story’s pattern would be saying that the account presents Moses in imagery common to the ancient world’s expectations of extraordinary achievement and deliverance. In the Sargon story the infant’s mother set him adrift in a basket in a river; he was loved by the gods and destined for greatness. Saying Israel used this to invent the account in Exodus would undermine its reliability. But there are other difficulties with the Sargon comparison, not the least of which is the fact that the meaning and function of the Sargon story are unclear. Second, there is no outside threat to the child Sargon. The account simply shows how a child was exposed, rescued, nurtured, and became king (see B. S. Childs, Exodus [OTL], 8-12). Third, other details do not fit: Moses’ father is known, Sargon’s is not; Moses is never abandoned, since he is never out of the care of his parents, and the finder is a princess and not a goddess. Moreover, without knowing the precise function and meaning of the Sargon story, it is almost impossible to explain its use as a pattern for the biblical account. By itself, the idea of a mother putting a child by the river if she wants him to be found would have been fairly sensible, for that is where the women of the town would be washing their clothes or bathing. If someone wanted to be sure the infant was discovered by a sympathetic woman, there would be no better setting (see R. A. Cole, Exodus [TOTC], 57). While there need not be a special genre of storytelling here, it is possible that Exodus 2 might have drawn on some of the motifs and forms of the other account to describe the actual event in the sparing of Moses—if they knew of it. If so it would show that Moses was cast in the form of the greats of the past.
Exodus 2:4 tn Or “stood.” The verb is the Hitpael preterite of יָצַב (yatsav), although the form is anomalous and perhaps should be spelled as in the Samaritan Pentateuch (see GKC 193 §71). The form yields the meaning of “take a stand, position or station oneself.” His sister found a good vantage point to wait and see what might become of the infant.
Exodus 2:4 tn Heb “to know”; many English versions have “to see.”
Exodus 2:4 tn The verb is a Niphal imperfect; it should be classified here as a historic future, future from the perspective of a point in a past time narrative.
Exodus 2:5 sn It is impossible, perhaps, to identify with certainty who this person was. For those who have taken a view that Rameses was the pharaoh, there were numerous daughters for Rameses. She is named Tharmuth in Jub. 47:5; Josephus spells it Thermouthis (Ant. 2.9.5 [2.224]), but Eusebius has Merris (Praep. Ev. ix. 27). E. H. Merrill (Kingdom of Priests, 60) makes a reasonable case for her identification as the famous Hatshepsut, daughter of Thutmose I. She would have been there about the time of Moses’ birth, and the general picture of her from history shows her to be the kind of princess with enough courage to countermand a decree of her father.
Exodus 2:5 tn Or “bathe.”
Exodus 2:5 sn A disjunctive vav initiates here a circumstantial clause. The picture is one of a royal entourage coming down to the edge of a tributary of the river, and while the princess was bathing, her female attendants were walking along the edge of the water out of the way of the princess. They may not have witnessed the discovery or the discussion.
Exodus 2:5 tn The word here is אָמָה (ʾamah), which means “female slave.” The word translated “attendants” earlier in the verse is נַעֲרֹת (naʿarot, “young women”), possibly referring here to an assortment of servants and companions.
Exodus 2:5 tn The verb is preterite, third person feminine singular, with a pronominal suffix, from לָקַח (laqakh, “to take”). The form says literally “and she took it,” and retains the princess as the subject of the verb.
Exodus 2:6 tn Heb “and she opened.”
Exodus 2:6 tn The grammatical construction has a pronominal suffix on the verb as the direct object along with the expressed object: “and she saw him, the child.” The second object defines the previous pronominal object to avoid misunderstanding (see GKC 425 §131.m).
Exodus 2:6 tn The text has נַעַר (naʿar, “lad, boy, young man”), which in this context would mean a baby boy.
Exodus 2:6 tn This clause is introduced with a disjunctive vav and the deictic particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “behold” in the KJV). The particle in this kind of clause introduces the unexpected—what Pharaoh’s daughter saw when she opened the basket: “and look, there was a baby boy crying.” The clause provides a parenthetical description of the child as she saw him when she opened the basket and does not advance the narrative. It is an important addition, however, for it puts readers in the position of looking with her into the basket and explains her compassion.
Exodus 2:6 tn The verb could be given a more colloquial translation such as “she felt sorry for him.” But the verb is stronger than that; it means “to have compassion, to pity, to spare.” What she felt for the baby was strong enough to prompt her to spare the child from the fate decreed for Hebrew boys. Here is part of the irony of the passage: What was perceived by many to be a womanly weakness—compassion for a baby—is a strong enough emotion to prompt the woman to defy the orders of Pharaoh. The ruler had thought sparing women was safe, but the midwives, the Hebrew mother, the daughter of Pharaoh, and Miriam, all work together to spare one child—Moses (cf. 1 Cor 1:27-29).
Exodus 2:7 sn The text uses קָרָא (qaraʾ), meaning “to call” or “summon.” Pharaoh himself will “summon” Moses many times in the plague narratives. Here the word is used for the daughter summoning the child’s mother to take care of him. The narratives in the first part of the book of Exodus include a good deal of foreshadowing of events that occur in later sections of the book (see M. Fishbane, Biblical Text and Texture).
Exodus 2:7 tn The object of the verb “get/summon” is “a woman.” But מֵינֶקֶת (meneqet, “nursing”), the Hiphil participle of the verb יָנַק (yanaq, “to suck”), is in apposition to it, clarifying what kind of woman should be found—a woman, a nursing one. Of course Moses’ mother was ready for the task.
Exodus 2:7 tn The form וְתֵינִק (v^eteniq) is the Hiphil imperfect/jussive, third feminine singular, of the same root as the word for “nursing.” It is here subordinated to the preceding imperfect (“shall I go”) and perfect with vav (ו) consecutive (“and summon”) to express the purpose: “in order that she may.”sn No respectable Egyptian woman of this period would have undertaken the task of nursing a foreigner’s baby, and so the suggestion by Miriam was proper and necessary. Since she was standing a small distance away from the events, she was able to come forward when the discovery was made.
Exodus 2:8 tn Heb “Go” (so KJV, ASV); NASB “Go ahead”; TEV “Please do.”
Exodus 2:8 sn The word used to describe the sister (Miriam probably) is עַלְמָה (ʿalma), the same word used in Isa 7:14, where it is usually translated either “virgin” or “young woman.” The word basically means a young woman who is ripe for marriage. This would indicate that Miriam is a teenager and so about fifteen years older than Moses.
Exodus 2:8 tn Heb קָרָא (qaraʾ, “called”).
Exodus 2:8 sn During this period of Egyptian history the royal palaces were in the northern or Delta area of Egypt, rather than up the Nile as in later periods. The proximity of the royal residences to the Israelites makes this and the plague narratives all the more realistic. Such direct contact would have been unlikely if Moses had had to travel up the Nile to meet with Pharaoh. In the Delta area things were closer. Here all the people would have had access to the tributaries of the Nile near where the royal family came, but the royal family probably had pavilions and hunting lodges in the area. See also N. Osborn, “Where on Earth Are We? Problems of Position and Movement in Space,” BT 31 (1980): 239-42.
Exodus 2:9 tn The verb is the Hiphil imperative of the verb הָלַךְ (halakh), and so is properly rendered “cause to go” or “take away.”
Exodus 2:9 tn The possessive pronoun on the noun “wage” expresses the indirect object: “I will pay wages to you.”
Exodus 2:10 tn The verb is the preterite of גָּדַל (gadal), and so might be rendered “and he became great.” But the context suggests that it refers to when he was weaned and before he was named, perhaps indicating he was three or four years old (see Gen 21:8).
Exodus 2:10 tn The idiomatic expression literally reads: “and he was to her for a son.” In this there are two prepositions lamed. The first expresses possession: “he was to her” means “she had.” The second is part of the usage of the verb: הָיָה (hayah) with the ל (lamed) preposition means “to become.”
Exodus 2:10 sn The naming provides the climax and summary of the story. The name of “Moses” (מֹשֶׁה, mosheh) is explained by “I have drawn him (מְשִׁיתִהוּ, m^eshitihu) from the water.” It appears that the name is etymologically connected to the verb in the saying, which is from מָשָׁה (mashah, “to draw out”). But commentators have found it a little difficult that the explanation of the name by the daughter of Pharaoh is in Hebrew when the whole background is Egyptian (U. Cassuto, Exodus, 20). Moreover, the Hebrew spelling of the name is the form of the active participle (“the one who draws out”); to be a precise description it should have been spelled מָשׁוּי (mashuy), the passive participle (“the one drawn out”). The etymology is not precise; rather, it is a wordplay (called paronomasia). Either the narrator merely attributed words to her (which is unlikely outside of fiction), or the Hebrew account simply translated what she had said into Hebrew, finding a Hebrew verb with the same sounds as the name. Such wordplays on names (also popular etymology) are common in the Bible. Most agree that the name is an Egyptian name. Josephus attempted to connect the biblical etymology with the name in Greek, Mōusēs, stating that Mo is Egyptian for water, and uses means those rescued from it (Ant. 2.9.6 [2.228]; see also J. Gwyn Griffiths, “The Egyptian Derivation of the Name Moses,” JNES 12 [1953]: 225). But the solution to the name is not to be derived from the Greek rendering. Due to the estimation Egyptians had of the Nile, the princess would have thought of the child from the river as a supernatural provision. The Egyptian hieroglyphic ms can be the noun “child” or the perfective verb “be born.” This was often connected with divine elements for names: Ptah-mose, “Ptah is born.” Also the name Rameses (R’-m-sw) means “[the god] Re’ is he who has born him.” If the name Moses is Egyptian, there are some philological difficulties (see the above article for their treatment). The significance of all this is that when the child was named by the princess, an Egyptian word related to ms was used, meaning something like “child” or “born.” The name might have even been longer, perhaps having a theophoric element (divine name) with it—“child of [some god].” The name’s motivation came from the fact that she drew him from the Nile, the source of life in Egypt. But the sound of the name recalled for the Hebrews the verb “to draw out” in their own language. Translating the words of the princess into Hebrew allowed for the effective wordplay to capture the significance of the story in the sound of the name. The implication for the Israelites is something to this effect: “You called him ‘born one’ in your language and after your custom, but in our language that name means ‘drawing out’—which is what was to become of him. You drew him out of the water, but he would draw us out of Egypt through the water.” So the circumstances of the story show Moses to be a man of destiny, and this naming episode summarizes how divine providence was at work in Israel. To the Israelites the name forever commemorated the portent of this event in the early life of the great deliverer (see Isa 63:11).
Exodus 2:11 sn Chapter 1 described how Israel was flourishing in spite of the bondage. Chapter 2 first told how God providentially provided the deliverer, but now when this deliverer attempted to deliver one of his people, it turned out badly, and he had to flee for his life. This section makes an interesting study in the presumption of the leader, what Christian expositors would rightly describe as trying to do God’s work by the flesh. The section has two parts to it: the flight from Egypt over the failed attempt to deliver (vv. 11-15), and Moses’ introduction to life as the deliverer in Midian (vv. 16-22).
Exodus 2:11 sn The expression “those days” refers to the days of bondage.
Exodus 2:11 tn The preterite with the vav (ו) consecutive is here subordinated to the next and main idea of the verse. This is the second use of this verb in the chapter. In v. 10 the verb had the sense of “when he began to grow” or “when he got older,” but here it carries the nuance of “when he had grown up.”
Exodus 2:11 tn Heb “brothers.” This term does not require them to be literal siblings, or even close family members. It simply refers to fellow Hebrews, people with whom Moses has begun to feel close ties of kinship. They are “brothers” in a broad sense, ultimately fellow members of the covenant community.
Exodus 2:11 tn The verb רָאָה (raʾah, “to see”) followed by the preposition bet (ב) can indicate looking on something as an overseer, or supervising, or investigating. Here the emphasis is on Moses’ observing their labor with sympathy or grief. It means more than that he simply saw the way his fellow Hebrews were being treated (cf. 2:25).sn This journey of Moses to see his people is an indication that he had become aware of his destiny to deliver them. This verse says that he looked on their oppression; the next section will say that the Lord looked on it.
Exodus 2:11 tn The verb מַכֶּה (makkeh) is the Hiphil participle of the root נָכָה (nakhah). It may be translated “strike, smite, beat, attack.” It can be used with the sense of killing (as in the next verse, which says Moses hid the body), but it does not necessarily indicate here that the Egyptian killed the Hebrew.
Exodus 2:11 tn Heb “brothers.” This kinship term is used as a means of indicating the nature of Moses’ personal concern over the incident, since the appositional clause adds no new information.
Exodus 2:12 tn The text literally says, “and he turned thus and thus” (וַיִּפֶן כֹּה וָכֹה, vayyifen koh vakhoh). It may indicate that he turned his gaze in all directions to ascertain that no one would observe what he did. Or, as B. Jacob argues, it may mean that he saw that there was no one to do justice and so he did it himself (Exodus, 37-38, citing Isa 59:15-16).
Exodus 2:12 tn Heb “he saw that there was no man.”
Exodus 2:12 sn The verb וַיַּךְ (vayyakh) is from the root נָכָה (nakhah, “to smite, attack”) which is used in v. 11. This new attack is fatal. The repetition of the verb, especially in Exodus, anticipates the idea of “eye for eye, tooth for tooth.” The problem is, however, that Moses was not authorized to take this matter into his own hands in this way. The question the next day was appropriate: “Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?” The answer? No one—yet.
Exodus 2:12 tn Heb “him”; for stylistic reasons the referent has been specified as “the body.”
Exodus 2:13 tn The preterite with the vav consecutive is subordinated to the main idea of the verse.
Exodus 2:13 tn Heb “the second day” (so KJV, ASV).
Exodus 2:13 tn The deictic particle is used here to predicate existence, as in “here were” or “there were.” But this use of הִנֵּה (hinneh) indicates also that what he encountered was surprising or sudden—as in “Oh, look!”
Exodus 2:13 tn The word רָשָׁע (rashaʿ) is a legal term, meaning the guilty. This guilty man rejects Moses’ intervention for much the same reason Pharaoh will later (5:2)—he does not recognize his authority. Later Pharaoh will use this term to declare himself as in the wrong (9:27) and God in the right.
Exodus 2:13 tn This is the third use of the verb נָכָה (nakhah) in the passage; here it is the Hiphil imperfect. It may be given a progressive imperfect nuance—the attack was going on when Moses tried to intervene.
Exodus 2:13 sn Heb “your neighbor.” The word רֵעֶךָ (reʿekha) appears again in 33:11 to describe the ease with which God and Moses conversed. The Law will have much to say about how the Israelites were to treat their “neighbors, fellow citizens” (Exod 20:16-17; 21:14, 18, 35; 22:7-11, 14, 26; cf. Luke 10:25-37).
Exodus 2:14 tn Heb “And he”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Exodus 2:14 tn Heb “Who placed you for a man, a ruler and a judge over us?” The pleonasm does not need to be translated. For similar constructions see Lev 21:9; Judg 6:8; 2 Sam 1:13; Esth 7:6.
Exodus 2:14 tn The line reads “[is it] to kill me you are planning?” The form אֹמֵר (ʾomer) is the active participle used verbally; it would literally be “[are you] saying,” but in this context it conveys the meaning of “thinking, planning.” The Qal infinitive then serves as the object of this verbal form—are you planning to kill me?
Exodus 2:14 tn Heb “the Egyptian.” Here the Hebrew article functions in an anaphoric sense, referring back to the individual Moses killed.
Exodus 2:14 tn The verb form is “and he said.” But the intent of the form is that he said this within himself, and so it means “he thought, realized, said to himself.” The form, having the vav consecutive, is subordinated to the main idea of the verse, that he was afraid.
Exodus 2:14 tn The term הַדָּבָר (haddavar, “the word [thing, matter, incident]”) functions here like a pronoun to refer in brief to what Moses had done. For clarity this has been specified in the translation with the phrase “what I did.”
Exodus 2:15 tn The form with the vav consecutive is here subordinated to the main idea that Pharaoh sought to punish Moses.
Exodus 2:15 tn Heb הַדָּבָר (haddavar, “the word [thing, matter, incident]”) functions here like a pronoun to refer in brief to what Moses had done.
Exodus 2:15 tn The vav (ו) consecutive with the preterite shows result—as a result of Pharaoh’s search for him, he fled.
Exodus 2:15 sn The location of Midyan or Midian is uncertain, but it had to have been beyond the Egyptian borders on the east, either in the Sinai or beyond in the Arabah (south of the Dead Sea) or even on the east side of the Gulf of Aqaba. The Midianites seem to have traveled extensively in the desert regions. R. A. Cole (Exodus [TOTC], 60) reasons that since they later were enemies of Israel, it is unlikely that these traditions would have been made up about Israel’s great lawgiver; further, he explains that “Ishmaelite” and “Kenite” might have been clan names within the region of Midian. For a different point of view, see G. W. Coats, “Moses and Midian,” JBL 92 (1973): 3-10.
Exodus 2:15 tn The verb reads “and he sat” or “and he lived.” To translate it “he sat by a well” would seem anticlimactic and unconnected. It probably has the same sense as in the last clause, namely, that he lived in Midian, and he lived near a well, which detail prepares for what follows.
Exodus 2:15 tn The word has the definite article, “the well.” Gesenius lists this use of the article as that which denotes a thing that is yet unknown to the reader but present in the mind under the circumstances (GKC 407-8 §126.q-r). Where there was a well, people would settle, and as R. A. Cole says it, for people who settled there it was “the well” (Exodus [TOTC], 60).
Exodus 2:16 tn The preterites describing their actions must be taken in an ingressive sense, since they did not actually complete the job. Shepherds drove them away, and Moses watered the flocks.
Exodus 2:16 tn The object “water” is not in the Hebrew text, but is implied.
Exodus 2:16 tn This also has the ingressive sense, “began to fill,” but for stylistic reasons is translated simply “fill” here.
Exodus 2:17 tn The definite article here is the generic use; it simply refers to a group of shepherds.
Exodus 2:17 tn The actions of the shepherds are subordinated to the main statement about what Moses did.sn The verb is וַיְגָרְשׁוּם (vay^egar^eshum). Some shepherds came and drove the daughters away. The choice of this verb in the narrative has a tie with the name of Moses’ first son, Gershom. Moses senses very clearly that he is a sojourner in a strange land—he has been driven away.
Exodus 2:17 sn The verb used here is וַיּוֹשִׁעָן (vayyoshiʿan, “and he saved them”). The word means that he came to their rescue and delivered them. By the choice of words the narrator is portraying Moses as the deliverer—he is just not yet ready to deliver Israel from its oppressors.
Exodus 2:18 tn The verb means “to go, to come, to enter.” In this context it means that they returned to their father, or came home.
Exodus 2:18 sn The name “Reuel” is given here. In other places (e.g., chap. 18) he is called Jethro (cf. CEV, which uses “Jethro” here). Some suggest that this is simply a confusion of traditions. But it is not uncommon for ancients, like Sabean kings and priests, to have more than one name. Several of the kings of Israel, including Solomon, did. “Reuel” means “friend of God.”
Exodus 2:18 tn The sentence uses a verbal hendiadys construction: מִהַרְתֶּן בֹּא (miharten boʾ, “you have made quick [to] come”). The finite verb functions as if it were an adverb modifying the infinitive, which becomes the main verb of the clause.sn Two observations should be made at this point. First, it seems that the oppression at the well was a regular part of their routine because their father was surprised at their early return, and their answer alluded to the shepherds rather automatically. Secondly, the story is another meeting-at-the-well account. Continuity with the patriarchs is thereby kept in the mind of the reader (cf. Gen 24; 29:1-12).
Exodus 2:19 sn Continuing the theme of Moses as the deliverer, the text now uses another word for salvation (נָצַל, natsal, “to deliver, rescue”) in the sense of plucking out or away, snatching out of danger.
Exodus 2:19 tn Heb “from the hand of the shepherds” (so NASB); NAB “saved us from the interference of the shepherds.” Most recent English versions translate simply “from the shepherds.”
Exodus 2:19 tn The construction is emphatic with the use of the perfect tense and its infinitive absolute: דָלָה דָּלֹה (daloh dalah). B. Jacob says, “They showed their enthusiasm through the use of the infinitive absolute—And think of that, he even drew water for us; a man did this for us girls” (Exodus, 41).
Exodus 2:20 tn Heb “And he said.”
Exodus 2:20 tn The conjunction vav (ו) joins Reuel’s question to what the daughters said as logically following with the idea, “If he has done all that you say, why is he not here for me to meet?” (see GKC 485 §154.b).
Exodus 2:20 tn This uses the demonstrative pronoun as an enclitic, for emphasis (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 24, §118). The question reads more literally, “Why [is] this [that] you left him?”
Exodus 2:20 tn The imperfect tense coming after the imperative indicates purpose.
Exodus 2:20 tn Heb “bread,” i.e., “food.”
Exodus 2:21 tn Or “and Moses was willing” to stay with Reuel. The Talmud understood this to mean that he swore, and so when it came time to leave he had to have a word from God and permission from his father-in-law (Exod 4:18-19).
Exodus 2:21 tn The words “in marriage” are implied, and have been supplied in the translation for clarity.
Exodus 2:22 tn The preterite with the vav (ו) consecutive is subordinated to the next clause, which reports the naming and its motivation.
Exodus 2:22 tn Heb “and he called”; the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Exodus 2:22 sn Like the naming of Moses, this naming that incorporates a phonetic wordplay forms the commemorative summary of the account just provided. Moses seems to have settled into a domestic life with his new wife and his father-in-law. But when the first son is born, he named him גֵּרְשֹׁם (ger^eshom or gershom). There is little information available about what the name by itself might have meant. If it is linked to the verb “drive away” used earlier (גָּרַשׁ, garash), then the final mem (מ) would have to be explained as an enclitic mem. It seems most likely that that verb was used in the narrative to make a secondary wordplay on the name. The primary explanation is the popular etymology supplied by Moses himself. He links the name to the verb גּוּר (gur, “to sojourn, to live as an alien”). He then adds that he was a sojourner (גֵּר, ger, the participle) in a foreign land. The word “foreign” (נָכְרִיּה, nokhriyyah) adds to the idea of his being a resident foreigner. The final syllable in the name would then be connected to the adverb “there” (שָׁם, sham). Thus, the name is given the significance in the story of “sojourner there” or “alien there.” He no doubt knew that this was not the actual meaning of the name; the name itself had already been introduced into the family of Levi (1 Chr 6:1, 16). He chose the name because its sounds reflected his sentiment at that time. But to what was Moses referring? In view of naming customs among the Semites, he was most likely referring to Midian as the foreign land. If Egypt had been the strange land, and he had now found his place, he would not have given the lad such a name. Personal names reflect the present or recent experiences, or the hope for the future. So this naming is a clear expression by Moses that he knows he is not where he is supposed to be. That this is what he meant is supported in the NT by Stephen (Acts 7:29). So the choice of the name, the explanation of it, and the wordplay before it, all serve to stress the point that Moses had been driven away from his proper place of service.
Exodus 2:23 sn The next section of the book is often referred to as the “Call of Moses,” and that is certainly true. But it is much more than that. It is the divine preparation of the servant of God, a servant who already knew what his destiny was. In this section Moses is shown how his destiny will be accomplished. It will be accomplished because the divine presence will guarantee the power, and the promise of that presence comes with the important “I AM” revelation. The message that comes through in this, and other “I will be with you” passages, is that when the promise of God’s presence is correctly appropriated by faith, the servant of God can begin to build confidence for the task that lies ahead. It will no longer be, “Who am I that I should go?” but “I AM with you” that matters. The first little section, 2:23-25, serves as a transition and introduction, for it records the Lord’s response to Israel in her affliction. The second part is the revelation to Moses at the burning bush (3:1-10), which is one of the most significant theological sections in the Torah. Finally, the record of Moses’ response to the call with his objections (3:11-22), makes up the third part, and in a way, is a transition to the next section, where God supplies proof of his power.
Exodus 2:23 tn The verse begins with the temporal indicator “And it was” (cf. KJV, ASV “And it came to pass”). This has been left untranslated for stylistic reasons.
Exodus 2:23 tn Heb “in those many days.”
Exodus 2:23 tn Heb “the sons of Israel.”
Exodus 2:23 tn “They cried out” is from זָעַק (zaʿaq), and “desperate cry” is from שַׁוְעָה (shavʿah).
Exodus 2:24 sn The word for this painfully intense “groaning” appears elsewhere to describe a response to having two broken arms (Ezek 30:24).
Exodus 2:24 sn The two verbs “heard” and “remembered,” both preterites, say far more than they seem to say. The verb שָׁמַע (shamaʿ, “to hear”) ordinarily includes responding to what is heard. It can even be found in idiomatic constructions meaning “to obey.” To say God heard their complaint means that God responded to it. Likewise, the verb זָכַר (zakhar, “to remember”) means to begin to act on the basis of what is remembered. A prayer to God that says, “Remember me,” is asking for more than mere recollection (see B. S. Childs, Memory and Tradition in Israel [SBT], 1-8). The structure of this section at the end of the chapter is powerful. There are four descriptions of the Israelites, with a fourfold reaction from God. On the Israelites’ side, they groaned (אָנַח [ʾanakh], נְאָקָה [n^eʾaqah]) and cried out (זָעַק [zaʿaq], שַׁוְעָה [shavʿah]) to God. On the divine side God heard (שָׁמַע, shamaʿ) their groaning, remembered (זָכַר, zakhar) his covenant, looked (רָאָה, raʾah) at the Israelites, and took notice (יָדַע, yadaʿ) of them. These verbs emphasize God’s sympathy and compassion for the people. God is near to those in need; in fact, the deliverer had already been chosen. It is important to note at this point the repetition of the word “God.” The text is waiting to introduce the name “Yahweh” in a special way. Meanwhile, the fourfold repetition of “God” in vv. 24-25 is unusual and draws attention to the statements about his attention to Israel’s plight.
Exodus 2:25 tn Heb “and God saw.”
Exodus 2:25 tn Heb “and God knew” (יָדַע, yadaʿ). The last clause contains a widely used verb for knowing, but it leaves the object unexpressed within the clause, so as to allow all that vv. 23-24 have described to serve as the compelling content of God’s knowing. (Many modern English versions supply an object for the verb following the LXX, which reads “knew them.”) The idea seems to be that God took personal knowledge of, noticed, or regarded them. In other passages the verb “know” is similar in meaning to “save” or “show pity.” See especially Gen 18:21; Pss 1:6; 31:7; Amos 3:2. Exodus has already provided an example of the results of not knowing in 1:8 (cf. 5:2).

Luke 5

The Call of the Disciples

5 Now^[a] Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret,^[b] and the crowd was pressing around him^[c] to hear the word of God. ²He^[d] saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets. ³He got into^[e] one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then^[f] Jesus^[g] sat down^[h] and taught the crowds from the boat.^[i] ⁴When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and lower^[j] your nets for a catch.” ⁵Simon^[k] answered,^[l] “Master,^[m] we worked hard all night and caught nothing! But at your word^[n] I will lower^[o] the nets.” ⁶When^[p] they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets started to tear.^[q] ⁷So^[r] they motioned^[s] to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they were about to sink.^[t] ⁸But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord,^[u] for I am a sinful man!”^[v] ⁹For^[w] Peter^[x] and all who were with him were astonished^[y] at the catch of fish that they had taken, ¹⁰and so were James and John, Zebedee’s sons, who were Simon’s business partners.^[z] Then^[aa] Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on^[ab] you will be catching people!”^[ac] ¹¹So^[ad] when they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed^[ae] him.

Healing a Leper

¹²While^[af] Jesus^[ag] was in one of the towns,^[ah] a man came^[ai] to him who was covered with^[aj] leprosy.^[ak] When^[al] he saw Jesus, he bowed down with his face to the ground^[am] and begged him,^[an] “Lord, if^[ao] you are willing, you can make me clean.” ¹³So^[ap] he stretched out his hand and touched^[aq] him, saying, “I am willing. Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him. ¹⁴Then^[ar] he ordered the man^[as] to tell no one,^[at] but commanded him,^[au] “Go^[av] and show yourself to a priest, and bring the offering^[aw] for your cleansing, as Moses commanded,^[ax] as a testimony to them.”^[ay] ¹⁵But the news about him spread even more,^[az] and large crowds were gathering together to hear him^[ba] and to be healed of their illnesses. ¹⁶Yet Jesus himself^[bb] frequently withdrew^[bc] to the wilderness^[bd] and prayed.

Healing and Forgiving a Paralytic

¹⁷Now on^[be] one of those days, while he was teaching, there were Pharisees^[bf] and teachers of the law^[bg] sitting nearby (who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem),^[bh] and the power of the Lord was with him^[bi] to heal. ¹⁸Just then^[bj] some men showed up, carrying a paralyzed man^[bk] on a stretcher.^[bl] They^[bm] were trying to bring him in and place him before Jesus.^[bn] ¹⁹But^[bo] since they found^[bp] no way to carry him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof^[bq] and let him down on the stretcher^[br] through the roof tiles^[bs] right^[bt] in front of Jesus.^[bu] ²⁰When^[bv] Jesus^[bw] saw their^[bx] faith he said, “Friend,^[by] your sins are forgiven.”^[bz] ²¹Then^[ca] the experts in the law^[cb] and the Pharisees began to think^[cc] to themselves,^[cd] “Who is this man^[ce] who is uttering blasphemies?^[cf] Who can forgive sins but God alone?” ²²When Jesus perceived^[cg] their hostile thoughts,^[ch] he said to them,^[ci] “Why are you raising objections^[cj] within yourselves? ²³Which is easier,^[ck] to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Stand up and walk’? ²⁴But so that you may know^[cl] that the Son of Man^[cm] has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralyzed man^[cn]—“I tell you, stand up, take your stretcher^[co] and go home.”^[cp] ²⁵Immediately^[cq] he stood up before them, picked^[cr] up the stretcher^[cs] he had been lying on, and went home, glorifying^[ct] God. ²⁶Then^[cu] astonishment^[cv] seized them all, and they glorified^[cw] God. They were filled with awe,^[cx] saying, “We have seen incredible^[cy] things^[cz] today.”^[da]

The Call of Levi; Eating with Sinners

²⁷After^[db] this, Jesus^[dc] went out and saw a tax collector^[dd] named Levi^[de] sitting at the tax booth.^[df] “Follow me,”^[dg] he said to him. ²⁸And he got up and followed him, leaving everything^[dh] behind.^[di]

²⁹Then^[dj] Levi gave a great banquet^[dk] in his house for Jesus,^[dl] and there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others sitting^[dm] at the table with them. ³⁰But^[dn] the Pharisees^[do] and their experts in the law^[dp] complained^[dq] to his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”^[dr] ³¹Jesus^[ds] answered them, “Those who are well don’t need a physician, but those who are sick do.^[dt] ³²I have not come^[du] to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”^[dv]

The Superiority of the New

³³Then^[dw] they said to him, “John’s^[dx] disciples frequently fast^[dy] and pray,^[dz] and so do the disciples of the Pharisees,^[ea] but yours continue to eat and drink.”^[eb] ³⁴So^[ec] Jesus said to them, “You cannot make the wedding guests^[ed] fast while the bridegroom^[ee] is with them, can you?^[ef] ³⁵But those days are coming, and when the bridegroom is taken from them,^[eg] at that time^[eh] they will fast.” ³⁶He also told them a parable:^[ei] “No one tears a patch from a new garment and sews^[ej] it on an old garment. If he does, he will have torn^[ek] the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old.^[el] ³⁷And no one pours new wine into old wineskins.^[em] If he does, the new wine will burst the skins and will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. ³⁸Instead new wine must be poured into new wineskins.^[en] ³⁹^[eo] No^[ep] one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, ‘The old is good enough.’”^[eq]

Footnotes

Luke 5:1 tn Grk “Now it happened that.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
Luke 5:1 sn The Lake of Gennesaret is another name for the Sea of Galilee. Cf. the parallel in Matt 4:18.
Luke 5:1 sn The image of the crowd pressing around him suggests the people leaning forward to catch Jesus’ every word.
Luke 5:2 tn Grk “And he.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
Luke 5:3 tn Grk “Getting into”; the participle ἐμβάς (embas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
Luke 5:3 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
Luke 5:3 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Luke 5:3 tn Grk “sitting down”; the participle καθίσας (kathisas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
Luke 5:3 sn In 1986 following a period of drought and low lake levels, a fishing boat from the first century was discovered on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. It was excavated and preserved and can now be seen in the Yigal Allon Museum in Kibbutz Ginosar north of Tiberias. The remains of the boat are 27 ft (8.27 m) long and 7.5 ft (2.3 m) wide; it could be rowed by four rowers and had a mast for a sail. The boat is now known as the “Jesus boat” or the “Sea of Galilee boat” although there is no known historical connection of any kind with Jesus or his disciples. However, the boat is typical for the period and has provided archaeologists with much information about design and construction of boats on the Sea of Galilee in the first century.
Luke 5:4 tn Or “let down.” The verb here is plural, so this is a command to all in the boat, not just Peter.
Luke 5:5 tn Grk “And Simon.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
Luke 5:5 tn Grk “answering, Simon said.” This is redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified in the translation to “Simon answered.”
Luke 5:5 tn The word ἐπιστάτης is a term of respect for a person of high status (see L&N 87.50).
Luke 5:5 tn The expression “at your word,” which shows Peter’s obedience, stands first in the Greek clause for emphasis.
Luke 5:5 tn Or “let down.”
Luke 5:6 tn Grk “And when.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
Luke 5:6 tn In context, this imperfect verb is best taken as an ingressive imperfect.
Luke 5:7 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate consequential nature of the action.
Luke 5:7 tn That is, “they signaled by making gestures” (L&N 33.485).
Luke 5:7 tn This infinitive conveys the idea that the boats were at the point of sinking (BDF §338.1).
Luke 5:8 sn Lord is a term of high respect in this context. God’s presence in the work of Jesus makes Peter recognize his authority. This vocative is common in Luke (20 times), but does not yet have its full confessional force.
Luke 5:8 sn Peter was intimidated that someone who was obviously working with divine backing was in his presence (“Go away from me”). He feared his sinfulness might lead to judgment, but Jesus would show him otherwise.
Luke 5:9 sn An explanatory conjunction (For) makes it clear that Peter’s exclamation is the result of a surprising set of events. He speaks, but the others feel similarly.
Luke 5:9 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Luke 5:9 sn In the Greek text, this term is in an emphatic position.
Luke 5:10 tn Or “business associates.”
Luke 5:10 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
Luke 5:10 sn From now on is a common Lukan expression, see Luke 1:48.
Luke 5:10 tn The Greek term ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) is used here in a generic sense, referring to both men and women, thus “people.”sn The kind of fishing envisioned was net—not line—fishing, which involved a circular net that had heavy weights around its perimeter. The occupation of fisherman was labor-intensive. The imagery of using a lure and a line (and waiting for the fish to strike) is thus foreign to this text. Rather, the imagery of a fisherman involved much strain, long hours, and often little results. Jesus’ point may have been one or more of the following: the strenuousness of evangelism, the work ethic that it required, persistence and dedication to the task (often in spite of minimal results), the infinite value of the new “catch” (viz., people), and perhaps an eschatological theme of snatching people from judgment (cf. W. L. Lane, Mark [NICNT], 67; D. L. Bock, Luke [BECNT], 1:461). If this last motif is in view, then catching people is the opposite of catching fish: The fish would be caught, killed, cooked, and eaten; people would be caught so as to remove them from eternal destruction and to give them new life. With the statement “You will be catching people” Jesus turns the miracle into a metaphor for mission.
Luke 5:11 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the result of Jesus’ pronouncement.
Luke 5:11 sn The expression left everything and followed him pictures discipleship, which means that to learn from Jesus is to follow him as the guiding priority of one’s life.
Luke 5:12 tn Grk “And it happened that while.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
Luke 5:12 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Luke 5:12 tn Or “cities.”
Luke 5:12 tn Grk “towns, behold, a man covered with leprosy.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou, “behold”) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).
Luke 5:12 tn Grk “full of leprosy” (an idiom for a severe condition).
Luke 5:12 sn See the note on lepers in Luke 4:27.
Luke 5:12 tn Grk “And seeing.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, δέ (de) has not been translated here. The participle ἰδών (idōn) has been taken temporally.
Luke 5:12 tn Grk “he fell on his face”; an idiom for bowing down with one’s face to the ground.
Luke 5:12 tn Grk “and begged him, saying.” The participle λέγων (legōn) is redundant in English and has not been translated.
Luke 5:12 tn This is a third class condition. The report portrays the leper making no presumptions about whether Jesus will heal him or not.
Luke 5:13 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the response of Jesus to the man’s request.
Luke 5:13 sn Touched. This touch would have rendered Jesus ceremonially unclean (Lev 14:46; also Mishnah, m. Nega’im 3.1; 11.1; 12.1; 13.6-12).
Luke 5:14 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
Luke 5:14 tn Grk “him”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Luke 5:14 sn The silence ordered by Jesus was probably meant to last only until the cleansing took place with the priests and sought to prevent Jesus’ healings from becoming the central focus of the people’s reaction to him. See also 4:35, 41; 8:56 for other cases where Jesus asks for silence with reference to miracles.
Luke 5:14 tn The words “commanded him” are not in the Greek text but have been supplied for clarity. This verse moves from indirect to direct discourse. This abrupt change is very awkward, so the words have been supplied to smooth out the transition.
Luke 5:14 tn Grk “Going, show.” The participle ἀπελθών (apelthōn) has been translated as an attendant circumstance participle. Here the syntax also changes somewhat abruptly from indirect discourse to direct discourse.
Luke 5:14 tn The words “the offering” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
Luke 5:14 sn On the phrase as Moses commanded see Lev 14:1-32.
Luke 5:14 tn Or “as an indictment against them”; or “as proof to the people.” This phrase could be taken as referring to a positive witness to the priests, a negative testimony against them, or as a testimony to the community that the man had indeed been cured. In any case, the testimony shows that Jesus is healing and ministering to those in need.
Luke 5:15 sn That is, in spite of Jesus’ instructions to the man to tell no one about the healing (v. 14).
Luke 5:15 tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
Luke 5:16 tn Here αὐτός (autos) has been translated reflexively.
Luke 5:16 tn Grk “was withdrawing” (ἦν ὑποχωρῶν, ēn hupochōrōn). The adverb “frequently” has been added in the translation to bring out what is most likely an iterative force to the imperfect. However, the imperfect might instead portray an ingressive idea: “he began to withdraw.” See ExSyn 542-43.
Luke 5:16 tn Or “desert.”
Luke 5:17 tn Grk “And it happened that on.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
Luke 5:17 sn Pharisees were members of one of the most important and influential religious and political parties of Judaism in the time of Jesus. There were more Pharisees than Sadducees (according to Josephus, Ant. 17.2.4 [17.42] there were more than 6,000 Pharisees at about this time). Pharisees differed with Sadducees on certain doctrines and patterns of behavior. The Pharisees were strict and zealous adherents to the laws of the OT and to numerous additional traditions such as angels and bodily resurrection.
Luke 5:17 tn That is, those who were skilled in the teaching and interpretation of the OT law. These are called “experts in the law” (Grk “scribes”) in v. 21.
Luke 5:17 sn Jesus was now attracting attention outside of Galilee as far away as Jerusalem, the main city of Israel.
Luke 5:17 tc Most mss (A C D [K] Θ Ψ ƒ^1,13 33 M latt bo) read αὐτούς (autous) instead of αὐτόν (auton) here. If original, this plural pronoun would act as the direct object of the infinitive ἰᾶσθαι (iasthai, “to heal”). However, the reading with the singular pronoun αὐτόν, which acts as the subject of the infinitive, is to be preferred. Externally, it has support from better mss (א B L W al sa). Internally, it is probable that scribes changed the singular αὐτόν to the plural αὐτούς, expecting the object of the infinitive to come at this point in the text. The singular as the harder reading accounts for the rise of the other reading.
Luke 5:18 tn Grk “And behold.” Here καὶ ἰδού (kai idou) has been translated as “just then” to indicate the somewhat sudden appearance of the men carrying the paralytic. The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1), especially in conjunction with the suddenness of the stretcher-bearers’ appearance.
Luke 5:18 tn Grk “a man who was paralyzed”; the relative clause in Greek has adjectival force and has been simplified to a simple adjective in the translation.
Luke 5:18 tn Traditionally, “on a bed,” but this could be confusing to the modern reader who might envision a large piece of furniture. In various contexts, κλίνη (klinē) may be translated “bed, couch, cot, stretcher, or bier” (in the case of a corpse). See L&N 6.106.
Luke 5:18 tn Grk “stretcher, and.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style. Instead, because of the tendency of contemporary English to use shorter sentences, a new sentence was begun here in the translation.
Luke 5:18 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Luke 5:19 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast implied in the context: They wanted to bring the man to Jesus, but found no way.
Luke 5:19 tn Grk “But finding.” The participle εὑρόντες (heurontes) has been translated as a causal adverbial participle.
Luke 5:19 sn A house in 1st century Palestine would have had a flat roof with stairs or a ladder going up. This access was often from the outside of the house.
Luke 5:19 tn This word, κλινίδιον (klinidion), is a different Greek word than the one used in the previous verse (κλίνη, klinē). In this context both may be translated “stretcher” (see L&N 6.106 and 6.107).
Luke 5:19 tn There is a translational problem at this point in the text. The term Luke uses is κέραμος (keramos). It can in certain contexts mean “clay,” but usually this is in reference to pottery (see BDAG 540 s.v. 1). The most natural definition in this instance is “roof tile” (used in the translation above). However, tiles were generally not found in Galilee. Recent archaeological research has suggested that this house, which would have probably been typical for the area, could not have supported “a second story, nor could the original roof have been masonry; no doubt it was made from beams and branches of trees covered with a mixture of earth and straw” (J. F. Strange and H. Shanks, “Has the House Where Jesus Stayed in Capernaum Been Found?” BAR 8, no. 6 [Nov/Dec 1982]: 34). Luke may simply have spoken of building materials that would be familiar to his readers.
Luke 5:19 tn Grk “in the midst.”
Luke 5:19 sn The phrase right in front of Jesus trailing as it does at the end of the verse is slightly emphatic, adding a little note of drama: What would Jesus do?
Luke 5:20 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
Luke 5:20 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Luke 5:20 sn The plural pronoun their makes it clear that Jesus was responding to the faith of the entire group, not just the paralyzed man.
Luke 5:20 tn Grk “Man,” but the term used in this way was not derogatory in Jewish culture. Used in address (as here) it means “friend” (see BDAG 82 s.v. ἄνθρωπος 8).
Luke 5:20 tn Grk “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” Luke stresses the forgiveness of sins (cf. 1:77; 3:3; 24:47). In 5:20 he uses both the perfect ἀφέωνται and the personal pronoun σοι which together combine to heighten the subjective aspect of the experience of forgiveness. The σοι has been omitted in translation in light of normal English style.sn The passive voice here is a divine passive (ExSyn 437). It is clear that God does the forgiving.
Luke 5:21 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
Luke 5:21 tn Or “Then the scribes.” The traditional rendering of γραμματεύς (grammateus) as “scribe” does not communicate much to the modern English reader, for whom the term might mean “professional copyist,” if it means anything at all. The people referred to here were recognized experts in the law of Moses and in traditional laws and regulations. Thus “expert in the law” comes closer to the meaning for the modern reader.
Luke 5:21 tn Or “to reason” (in a hostile sense). See G. Schrenk, TDNT 2:97.
Luke 5:21 tn The participle λέγοντες (legontes, “saying”) has not been translated because it is redundant in contemporary English.
Luke 5:21 tn Grk “this one” (οὗτος, houtos).
Luke 5:21 sn Uttering blasphemies in the NT has a somewhat broader meaning than mere exclamations or pronouncements. It could mean to say something that dishonored God, but it could also involve claims to divine prerogatives (in this case, to forgive sins on God’s behalf). Such claims were viewed as usurping God’s majesty or honor. The remark here raised directly the issue of the nature of Jesus’ ministry, and even more importantly, the identity of Jesus himself as God’s representative.
Luke 5:22 sn Jesus often perceived people’s thoughts in Luke; see 4:23; 6:8; 7:40; 9:47. Such a note often precedes a rebuke.
Luke 5:22 tn Grk “reasonings.” This is the noun form of the infinitive διαλογίζεσθαι (dialogizesthai, “began to reason to themselves”) used in v. 21. Jesus’ reply to them in the latter part of the present verse makes clear that these reasonings were mental and internal, so the translation “thoughts” was used here. On the hostile or evil nature of these thoughts, see G. Schrenk, TDNT 2:97.
Luke 5:22 tn Grk “answering, he said to them.” This construction with passive participle and finite verb is pleonastic (redundant) and has been simplified in the translation.
Luke 5:22 tn The Greek verb διαλογίζεσθε (dialogizesthe, “you reason”), used in context with διαλογισμούς (dialogismous, “reasonings”), connotes more than neutral reasoning or thinking. While the verb can refer to normal “reasoning,” “discussion,” or “reflection” in the NT, its use here in Luke 5:22, alongside the noun—which is regularly used with a negative sense in the NT (cf. Matt 15:19; Mark 7:21; Luke 2:35; 6:8; 9:47; Rom 1:21; 1 Cor 3:20; G. Schrenk, TDNT 2:96-97; D. L. Bock, Luke [BECNT], 1:484)—suggests the idea of “contention.” Therefore, in order to reflect the hostility evident in the reasoning of the Pharisees and teachers of the law, the verb has been translated as “raising objections.”
Luke 5:23 sn Which is easier is a reflective kind of question. On the one hand to declare sins are forgiven is easier, since one does not need to see it, unlike telling a paralyzed person to walk. On the other hand, it is harder, because for it to be true one must possess the authority to forgive the sin.
Luke 5:24 sn Now Jesus put the two actions together. The walking of the man would be proof (so that you may know) that his sins were forgiven and that God had worked through Jesus (i.e., the Son of Man).
Luke 5:24 sn The term Son of Man, which is a title in Greek, comes from a pictorial description in Dan 7:13 of one “like a son of man” (i.e., a human being). It is Jesus’ favorite way to refer to himself. Jesus did not reveal the background of the term here, which mixes human and divine imagery as the man in Daniel rides a cloud, something only God does. He just used it. It also could be an idiom in Aramaic meaning either “some person” or “me.” So there is a little ambiguity in its use here, since its origin is not clear at this point. However, the action makes it clear that Jesus used it to refer to himself here.
Luke 5:24 tn Grk “to the one who was paralyzed”; the Greek participle is substantival and has been simplified to a simple adjective and noun in the translation.sn Jesus did not finish his sentence with words but with action, that is, healing the paralytic with an accompanying pronouncement to him directly.
Luke 5:24 tn This word, κλινίδιον (klinidion), is the same as the one used in v. 19. In this context it may be translated “stretcher” (see L&N 6.107).
Luke 5:24 tn Grk “to your house.”
Luke 5:25 tn Grk “And immediately.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
Luke 5:25 tn Grk “and picked up.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because contemporary English normally places a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series.
Luke 5:25 tn Grk “picked up what he had been lying on”; the referent of the relative pronoun (the stretcher) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Luke 5:25 sn Note the man’s response, glorifying God. Joy at God’s work is also a key theme in Luke: 2:20; 4:15; 5:26; 7:16; 13:13; 17:15; 18:43; 23:47.
Luke 5:26 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
Luke 5:26 tn Or “amazement.” See L&N 25.217, which translates this clause, “astonishment seized all of them.”
Luke 5:26 tn This imperfect verb could be translated as an ingressive (“they began to glorify God”), but this is somewhat awkward in English since the following verb is aorist and is normally translated as a simple past.
Luke 5:26 tn Grk “fear,” but the context and the following remark show that it is mixed with wonder; see L&N 53.59.
Luke 5:26 tn Or “remarkable.” The term παράδοξος (paradoxos) is hard to translate exactly; it suggests both the unusual and the awe inspiring in this context. For the alternatives see L&N 31.44 (“incredible”) and 58.56 (“remarkable”). It is often something beyond belief (G. Kittel, TDNT 2:255).
Luke 5:26 tn The word “things” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied because the adjective παράδοξος (paradoxos) is substantival. Other translations sometimes supply alternate words like “miracles” or “signs,” but “things” is the most neutral translation.
Luke 5:26 sn See the note on today in 2:11.
Luke 5:27 tn Grk “And after.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
Luke 5:27 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
Luke 5:27 sn See the note on tax collectors in 3:12.
Luke 5:27 sn It is possible that Levi is a second name for Matthew, because people often used alternative names in 1st century Jewish culture.
Luke 5:27 tn While “tax office” is sometimes given as a translation for τελώνιον (telōnion; so L&N 57.183), this could give the modern reader a false impression of an indoor office with all its associated furnishings.sn The tax booth was a booth located at a port or on the edge of a city or town to collect taxes for trade. These taxes were a form of customs duty or toll applied to the movement of goods and produce brought into an area for sale. As such these tolls were a sort of “sales tax” paid by the seller but obviously passed on to the purchaser in the form of increased prices (L&N 57.183). The system as a whole is sometimes referred to as “tax farming” because a contract to collect these taxes for an entire district would be sold to the highest bidder, who would pay up front, hire employees to do the work of collection, and then recoup the investment and overhead by charging commissions on top of the taxes. Although rates and commissions were regulated by law, there was plenty of room for abuse in the system through the subjective valuation of goods by the tax collectors, and even through outright bribery. Tax overseers and their employees were obviously not well liked. There was a tax booth in Capernaum, which was on the trade route from Damascus to Galilee and the Mediterranean. It was here that Jesus met Levi (also named Matthew [see Matt 9:9]) who, although indirectly employed by the Romans, was probably more directly responsible to Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee appointed by Rome. It was Levi’s job to collect customs duties for Rome and he was thus despised by his fellow Jews, many of whom would have regarded him as a traitor.
Luke 5:27 sn Follow me. For similar calls on the part of Jesus see Luke 5:10-11; 9:23, 59; 18:22.
Luke 5:28 sn On the phrase leaving everything see Luke 5:10-11; 14:33.
Luke 5:28 tn The participial phrase “leaving everything behind” occurs at the beginning of the sentence, but has been transposed to the end in the translation for logical reasons, since it serves to summarize Levi’s actions.
Luke 5:29 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
Luke 5:29 sn A great banquet refers to an elaborate meal. Many of the events in Luke take place in the context of meal fellowship: 7:36-50; 9:12-17; 10:38-42; 11:37-54; 14:1-24; 22:7-38; 24:29-32, 41-43.
Luke 5:29 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Luke 5:29 tn Grk “reclining.” This term reflects the normal practice in 1st century Jewish culture of eating a meal in a semi-reclining position. Since it is foreign to most modern readers, the translation “sitting” has been substituted.
Luke 5:30 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the implied contrast present in this context.
Luke 5:30 sn See the note on Pharisees in 5:17.
Luke 5:30 tn Or “and their scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 5:21.
Luke 5:30 tn Or “grumbled”; a term often used in the OT for inappropriate grumbling: Exod 15:24; 16:7-8; Num 14:2, 26-35; 16:11.
Luke 5:30 sn The issue here is inappropriate associations (eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners) and the accusation comes not against Jesus, but his disciples.
Luke 5:31 tn Grk “And Jesus.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
Luke 5:31 sn Jesus’ point is that he associates with those who are sick because they have the need and will respond to the offer of help. A person who is well (or who thinks mistakenly that he is) will not seek treatment.
Luke 5:32 sn I have not come is another commission statement by Jesus; see 4:43-44.
Luke 5:32 sn Though parallels exist to this saying (Matt 9:13; Mark 2:17), only Luke has this last phrase but sinners to repentance. Repentance is a frequent topic in Luke’s Gospel: 3:3, 8; 13:1-5; 15:7, 10; 16:30; 17:3-4; 24:47.
Luke 5:33 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
Luke 5:33 tc Most mss (א*^,2 A C D Θ Ψ ƒ^1,13 M latt sy) read διὰ τί (dia ti, “Why do John’s…?”) here, turning the statement into a question. But such seems to be a motivated reading, assimilating the text to Mark 2:18 and Matt 9:14. The reading represented in the translation is supported by P⁴ א¹ B L W Ξ 33 892* 1241 sa.sn John refers to John the Baptist.
Luke 5:33 sn John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees followed typical practices with regard to fasting and prayer. Many Jews fasted regularly (Lev 16:29-34; 23:26-32; Num 29:7-11). The zealous fasted twice a week on Monday and Thursday.
Luke 5:33 tn Grk “and offer prayers,” but this idiom (δέησις + ποιέω) is often simply a circumlocution for praying.
Luke 5:33 sn See the note on Pharisees in 5:17.
Luke 5:33 tn Grk “but yours are eating and drinking.” The translation “continue to eat and drink” attempts to reflect the progressive or durative nature of the action described, which in context is a practice not limited to the specific occasion at hand (the banquet).
Luke 5:34 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate that Jesus’ pronouncement is a result of their statements about his disciples.
Luke 5:34 tn Grk “the sons of the wedding hall,” an idiom referring to guests at the wedding, or more specifically, friends of the bridegroom present at the wedding celebration (L&N 11.7).
Luke 5:34 sn The expression while the bridegroom is with them is an allusion to messianic times (John 3:29; Isa 54:5-6; 62:4-5).
Luke 5:34 tn Questions prefaced with μή (mē) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here it is “can you?”).
Luke 5:35 sn The statement when the bridegroom is taken from them is a veiled allusion by Jesus to his death, which he did not make explicit until the incident at Caesarea Philippi in 9:18ff.
Luke 5:35 tn Grk “then in those days.”
Luke 5:36 sn The term parable in a Semitic context can cover anything from a long story to a brief wisdom saying. Here it is the latter.
Luke 5:36 tn Grk “puts,” but since the means of attachment would normally be sewing, the translation “sews” has been used.
Luke 5:36 tn Grk “he tears.” The point is that the new garment will be ruined to repair an older, less valuable one.
Luke 5:36 sn The piece from the new will not match the old. The imagery in this saying looks at the fact that what Jesus brings is so new that it cannot simply be combined with the old. To do so would be to destroy what is new and to put together something that does not fit.
Luke 5:37 sn Wineskins were bags made of skin or leather, used for storing wine in NT times. As the new wine fermented and expanded, it would stretch the new wineskins. Putting new (unfermented) wine in old wineskins, which had already been stretched, would result in the bursting of the wineskins.
Luke 5:38 tc Most mss (A C [D] Θ Ψ ƒ¹³ M latt sy) have καὶ ἀμφότεροι συντηροῦνται (kai amphoteroi suntērountai, “and both will be preserved”), assimilating the text to Matt 9:17. The earliest and best witnesses, as well as many others (P^4,75vid א B L W ƒ¹ 33 579 700 1241 2542 co), however, lack the words.sn The meaning of the saying new wine…into new skins is that the presence and teaching of Jesus was something new and signaled the passing of the old. It could not be confined within the old religion of Judaism, but involved the inauguration and consummation of the kingdom of God.
Luke 5:39 tc The Western textual tradition (D it) lacks 5:39. The verse is unique to Luke, so the omission by these witnesses looks like assimilation to the other synoptic accounts.
Luke 5:39 tc ‡ Although most mss begin the verse with καί (kai, “and”), beginning the sentence without a conjunction is both a harder reading and is found in early and significant witnesses (P^4,75vid א² B 579 700 892 1241). NA²⁸ puts the word in brackets indicating doubts as to its authenticity.
Luke 5:39 tc Most mss, especially the later ones (A C Θ Ψ ƒ^1,13 33 M lat), read χρηστότερος (chrēstoteros, “better”), a smoother reading. The reading of the text (found in P⁴ א B L W 1241) is preferred as the more difficult reading. This reading could suggest that the new thing Jesus brings is not even considered, since the “old wine” is already found quite acceptable.tn Grk “good.”sn The third illustration points out that those already satisfied with what they have will not seek the new (The old is good enough).

Job 19

Job’s Reply to Bildad^[a]

19 Then Job answered:

²“How long will you torment me^[b]
and crush^[c] me with your words?^[d]
³These ten times^[e] you have been reproaching me;^[f]
you are not ashamed to attack me.^[g]
⁴But even if it were^[h] true that I have erred,^[i]
my error^[j] remains solely my concern!
⁵If indeed^[k] you would exalt yourselves^[l] above me
and plead my disgrace against me,^[m]
⁶know^[n] then that God has wronged me^[o]
and encircled^[p] me with his net.^[q]

Job’s Abandonment and Affliction

⁷“If^[r] I cry out,^[s] ‘Violence!’^[t]
I receive no answer;^[u]
I cry for help,
but there is no justice.
⁸He has blocked^[v] my way so I cannot pass,
and has set darkness^[w] over my paths.
⁹He has stripped me of my honor
and has taken the crown off my head.^[x]
¹⁰He tears me down^[y] on every side until I perish;^[z]
he uproots^[aa] my hope^[ab] like an uprooted^[ac] tree.
¹¹Thus^[ad] his anger burns against me,
and he considers me among his enemies.^[ae]
¹²His troops^[af] advance together;
they throw up^[ag] a siege ramp against me,
and they camp around my tent.

Job’s Forsaken State

¹³“He has put my relatives^[ah] far from me;
my acquaintances only^[ai] turn away from me.
¹⁴My kinsmen have failed me;
my friends^[aj] have forgotten me.^[ak]
¹⁵My guests^[al] and my servant girls
consider^[am] me a stranger;
I am a foreigner^[an] in their eyes.
¹⁶I summon^[ao] my servant, but he does not respond,
even though I implore^[ap] him with my own mouth.
¹⁷My breath is repulsive^[aq] to my wife;
I am loathsome^[ar] to my brothers.^[as]
¹⁸Even youngsters have scorned me;
when I get up,^[at] they scoff at me.^[au]
¹⁹All my closest friends^[av] detest me;
and those whom^[aw] I love have turned against me.^[ax]
²⁰My bones stick to my skin and my flesh;^[ay]
I have escaped^[az] alive^[ba] with only the skin of my teeth.
²¹Have pity on me, my friends, have pity on me,
for the hand of God has struck me.
²²Why do you pursue me like God does?^[bb]
Will you never be satiated with my flesh?^[bc]

Job’s Assurance of Vindication

²³“O that^[bd] my words were written down!
O that they were written on a scroll!^[be]
²⁴O that with an iron chisel and with lead^[bf]
they were engraved in a rock forever!
²⁵As for me, I know that my Redeemer^[bg] lives,
and that as the last^[bh]
he will stand upon the earth.^[bi]
²⁶And after my skin has been destroyed,^[bj]
yet in my flesh^[bk] I will see God,^[bl]
²⁷whom I will see for myself,^[bm]
and whom my own eyes will behold,
and not another.^[bn]
My heart^[bo] grows faint within me.^[bp]
²⁸If you say, ‘How we will pursue him,
since the root of the trouble is found in him!’^[bq]
²⁹Fear the sword yourselves,
for wrath^[br] brings the punishment^[bs] by the sword,
so that you may know
that there is judgment.”^[bt]

Footnotes

Job 19:1 sn Job is completely stunned by Bildad’s speech, and feels totally deserted by God and his friends. Yet from his despair a new hope emerges with a stronger faith. Even though he knows he will die in his innocence, he knows that God will vindicate him and that he will be conscious of the vindication. There are four parts to this reply: Job’s impatience with the speeches of his friends (2-6), God’s abandonment of Job and his attack (7-12), Job’s forsaken state and appeal to his friends (13-22), and Job’s confidence that he will be vindicated (23-29).
Job 19:2 tn Heb “torment my soul,” with “soul” representing the self or individual. The MT has a verb from יָגָה (yagah, “to afflict; to torment”). This is supported by the versions. But the LXX has “to tire” which is apparently from יָגַע (yagaʿ). The form in the MT is unusual because it preserves the final (original) yod in the Hiphil (see GKC 214 §75.gg). So this unusual form has been preserved, and is the correct reading. A modal nuance for the imperfect fits best here: “How long do you intend to do this?”
Job 19:2 tn The MT has דָּכָא (dakhaʾ), “to crush” in the Piel. The LXX, however, has a more general word which means “to destroy.”
Job 19:2 tn The LXX adds to the verse: “only know that the Lord has dealt with me thus.”
Job 19:3 sn The number “ten” is a general expression to convey that this has been done often (see Gen 31:7; Num 14:22).
Job 19:3 tn The Hiphil of the verb כָּלַם (kalam) means “outrage; insult; shame.” The verbs in this verse are prefixed conjugations, and may be interpreted as preterites if the reference is to the past time. But since the action is still going on, progressive imperfects work well.
Job 19:3 tn The second half of the verse uses two verbs, the one dependent on the other. It could be translated “you are not ashamed to attack me” (see GKC 385-86 §120.c), or “you attack me shamelessly.” The verb חָכַר (hakhar) poses some difficulties for both the ancient versions and the modern commentators. The verb seems to be cognate to Arabic hakara, “to oppress; to ill-treat.” This would mean that there has been a transformation of ח (khet) to ה (he). Three Hebrew mss actually have the ח (khet). This has been widely accepted; other suggestions are irrelevant.
Job 19:4 tn Job has held to his innocence, so the only way that he could say “I have erred” (שָׁגִיתִי, shagiti) is in a hypothetical clause like this.
Job 19:4 tn There is a long addition in the LXX: “in having spoken words which it is not right to speak, and my words err, and are unreasonable.”
Job 19:4 tn The word מְשׁוּגָה (m^eshugah) is a hapax legomenon. It is derived from שׁוּג (shug, “to wander; to err”) with root paralleling שָׁגַג (shagag) and שָׁגָה (shagah). What Job is saying is that even if it were true that he had erred, it did not injure them—it was solely his concern.
Job 19:5 tn The introductory particles repeat אָמְנָם (ʾamnam, “indeed”) but now with אִם (ʾim, “if”). It could be interpreted to mean “is it not true,” or as here in another conditional clause.
Job 19:5 tn The verb is the Hiphil of גָּדַל (gadal); it can mean “to make great” or as an internal causative “to make oneself great” or “to assume a lofty attitude, to be insolent.” There is no reason to assume another root here with the meaning of “quarrel” (as Gordis does).
Job 19:5 sn Job’s friends have been using his shame, his humiliation in all his sufferings, as proof against him in their case.
Job 19:6 tn The imperative is used here to introduce a solemn affirmation. This verse proves that Job was in no way acknowledging sin in v. 4. Here Job is declaring that God has wronged him, and in so doing, perverted justice.
Job 19:6 tn The Piel of עָוַת (ʿavat) means “to warp justice” (see 8:3), or here, to do wrong to someone (see Ps 119:78). The statement is chosen to refute the question that Bildad asked in his first speech.
Job 19:6 tn The verb נָקַף (naqaf) means “to turn; to make a circle; to encircle.” It means that God has encircled or engulfed Job with his net.
Job 19:6 tn The word מְצוּדוֹ (m^etsudo) is usually connected with צוּד (tsud, “to hunt”), and so is taken to mean “a net.” Gordis and Habel, however, interpret it to mean “siegeworks” thrown up around a city—but that would require changing the ד (dalet) to a ר (resh) (cf. NLT, “I am like a city under siege”). The LXX, though, has “bulwark.” Besides, the previous speech used several words for “net.”
Job 19:7 tn The particle is used here as in 9:11 (see GKC 497 §159.w).
Job 19:7 tc The LXX has “I laugh at reproach.”
Job 19:7 tn The same idea is expressed in Jer 20:8 and Hab 1:2. The cry is a cry for help, that he has been wronged, that there is no justice.
Job 19:7 tn The Niphal is simply “I am not answered.” See Prov 21:13b.
Job 19:8 tn The verb גָּדַר (gadar) means “to wall up; to fence up; to block.” God has blocked Job’s way so that he cannot get through. See the note on 3:23. Cf. Lam 3:7.
Job 19:8 tn Some commentators take the word to be חָשַׁךְ (hasak), related to an Arabic word for “thorn hedge.”
Job 19:9 sn The images here are fairly common in the Bible. God has stripped away Job’s honorable reputation. The crown is the metaphor for the esteem and dignity he once had. See 29:14; Isa 61:3; see Ps 8:5 [6].
Job 19:10 tn The metaphors are changed now to a demolished building and an uprooted tree. The verb is נָתַץ (natats, “to demolish”). Since it is Job himself who is the object, the meaning cannot be “demolish” (as of a house so that an inhabitant has to leave), but more of the attack or the battering.
Job 19:10 tn The text has הָלַךְ (halakh, “to leave”). But in view of Job 14:20, “perish” or “depart” would be a better meaning here.
Job 19:10 tn The verb נָסַע (nasaʿ) means “to travel” generally, but specifically it means “to pull up the tent pegs and move.” The Hiphil here means “uproot.” It is used of a vine in Ps 80:9. The idea here does not contradict Job 14:7, for there the tree still had roots and so could grow.
Job 19:10 tn The NEB has “my tent rope,” but that seems too contrived here. It is absurd to pull up a tent-rope like a tree.
Job 19:10 tn Heb “like a tree.” The words “one uproots” are supplied in the translation for clarity.
Job 19:11 tn The verb is a nonpreterite vayyiqtol perhaps employed to indicate that the contents of v. 11 are a logical sequence to the actions described in v. 10.
Job 19:11 tn This second half of the verse is a little difficult. The Hebrew has “and he reckons me for him like his adversaries.” Most would change the last word to a singular in harmony with the versions, “as his adversary.” But some retain the MT pointing and try to explain it variously: Weiser suggests that the plural might have come from a cultic recitation of Yahweh’s deeds against his enemies; Fohrer thinks it refers to the primeval enemies; Gordis takes it as distributive, “as one of his foes.” If the plural is retained, this last view makes the most sense.
Job 19:12 sn Now the metaphor changes again. Since God thinks of Job as an enemy, he attacks with his troops, builds the siege ramp, and camps around him to besiege him. All the power and all the forces are at God’s disposal in his attack of Job.
Job 19:12 tn Heb “they throw up their way against me.” The verb סָלַל (salal) means “to build a siege ramp” or “to throw up a ramp”; here the object is “their way.” The latter could be taken as an adverbial accusative, “as their way.” But as the object it fits just as well. Some delete the middle clause; the LXX has “Together his troops fell upon me, they beset my ways with an ambush.”
Job 19:13 tn Heb “brothers.”
Job 19:13 tn The LXX apparently took אַךְ־זָרוּ (ʾakh, “even, only,” and zaru, “they turn away”) together as if it was the verb אַכְזָרוּ (ʾakhzaru, “they have become cruel,” as in 20:21). But the grammar in the line would be difficult with this. Moreover, the word is most likely from זוּר (zur, “to turn away”). See L. A. Snijders, “The Meaning of zar in the Old Testament,” OTS 10 (1964): 1-154 (especially p. 9).
Job 19:14 tn The Pual participle is used for those “known” to him, or with whom he is “familiar,” whereas קָרוֹב (qarov, “near”) is used for a relative.
Job 19:14 tn Many commentators add the first part of v. 15 to this verse, because it is too loaded and this is too short. That gives the reading “My kinsmen and my familiar friends have disappeared, they have forgotten me (15) the guests I entertained.” There is not much support for this, nor is there much reason for it.
Job 19:15 tn The Hebrew גָּרֵי בֵיתִי (gare veti, “the guests of my house”) refers to those who sojourned in Job’s house—not residents, but guests.
Job 19:15 tn The form of the verb is a feminine plural, which would seem to lend support to the proposed change of the lines (see last note to v. 14). But the form may be feminine primarily because of the immediate reference. On the other side, the suffix of “their eyes” is a masculine plural. So the evidence lies on both sides.
Job 19:15 tn This word נָכְרִי (nokhri) is the person from another race, from a strange land, the foreigner. The previous word, גֵּר (ger), is a more general word for someone who is staying in the land but is not a citizen, that is, a sojourner.
Job 19:16 tn The verb קָרָא (qaraʾ) followed by the ל (lamed) preposition means “to summon.” Contrast Ps 123:2.
Job 19:16 tn Heb “plead for grace” or “plead for mercy” (ESV).
Job 19:17 tn The Hebrew appears to have “my breath is strange to my wife.” This would be the meaning if the verb was from זוּר (zur, “to turn aside; to be a stranger”). But it should be connected to זִיר (zir), cognate to Assyrian zaru, “to feel repugnance toward.” Here it is used in the intransitive sense, “to be repulsive.” L. A. Snijders, following Driver, doubts the existence of this second root, and retains “strange” (“The Meaning of zar in the Old Testament,” OTS 10 [1964]: 1-154).
Job 19:17 tn The normal meaning here would be based on the root חָנַן (khanan, “to be gracious”). And so we have versions reading “although I entreated” or “my supplication.” But it seems more likely it is to be connected to another root meaning “to be offensive; to be loathsome.” For the discussion of the connection to the Arabic, see E. Dhorme, Job, 278.
Job 19:17 tn The text has “the sons of my belly [= body].” This would normally mean “my sons.” But they are all dead. And there is no suggestion that Job had other sons. The word “my belly” will have to be understood as “my womb,” i.e., the womb I came from. Instead of “brothers,” the sense could be “siblings” (both brothers and sisters; G. R. Driver and G. B. Gray, Job [ICC], 2:168).
Job 19:18 sn The use of the verb “rise” is probably fairly literal. When Job painfully tries to get up and walk, the little boys make fun of him.
Job 19:18 tn The verb דִּבֵּר (dibber) followed by the preposition ב (bet) indicates speaking against someone, namely, scoffing or railing against someone (see Pss 50:20; 78:19). Some commentators find another root with the meaning “to turn one’s back on; to turn aside from.” The argument is weak philologically because it requires a definition “from” for the preposition ב. See among others I. Eitan, “Studies in Hebrew Roots,” JQR 14 (1923-24): 31-52, especially 38-41.
Job 19:19 tn Heb “men of my confidence,” or “men of my council,” i.e., intimate friends, confidants.
Job 19:19 tn The pronoun זֶה (zeh) functions here in the place of a nominative (see GKC 447 §138.h).
Job 19:19 tn T. Penar translates this “turn away from me” (“Job 19, 19 in the Light of Ben Sira 6, 11, ” Bib 48 [1967]: 293-95).
Job 19:20 tn The meaning would be “I am nothing but skin and bones” in current English idiom. Both lines of this verse need attention. The first half seems to say, “My skin and my flesh sticks to my bones.” Some think that this is too long, and that the bones can stick to the skin, or the flesh, but not both. Dhorme proposes “in my skin my flesh has rotted away” (רָקַב, raqav). This involves several changes in the line, however. He then changes the second line to read “and I have gnawed my bone with my teeth” (transferring “bone” from the first half and omitting “skin”). There are numerous other renderings of this; some of the more notable are: “I escape, my bones in my teeth” (Merx); “my teeth fall out” (Duhm); “my teeth fall from my gums” (Pope); “my bones protrude in sharp points” (Kissane). A. B. Davidson retains “the skin of my teeth,” meaning “gums.” This is about the last thing that Job has, or he would not be able to speak. For a detailed study of this verse, D. J. A. Clines devotes two full pages of textual notes (Job [WBC], 430-31). He concludes with “My bones hang from my skin and my flesh, I am left with only the skin of my teeth.”
Job 19:20 tn Or “I am left.”
Job 19:20 tn The word “alive” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
Job 19:22 sn Strahan comments, “The whole tragedy of the book is packed into these extraordinary words.”
Job 19:22 sn The idiom of eating the pieces of someone means “slander” in Aramaic (see Dan 3:8), Arabic and Akkadian.
Job 19:23 tn The optative is again expressed with the interrogative clause “Who will give that they be written?” Job wishes that his words be preserved long after his death.
Job 19:23 tn While the sense of this line is clear, there is a small problem and a plausible solution. The last word is indeed סֶפֶר (sefer, “book”), usually understood here to mean “scroll.” But the verb that follows it in the verse is יֻחָקוּ (yukhaqu), from חָקַק (khaqaq, “to engrave; to carve”). While the meaning is clearly that Job wants his words to be retained, the idea of engraving in a book, although not impossible, is unusual. And so many have suggested that the Akkadian word siparru, “copper; brass,” is what is meant here (see Isa 30:8; Judg 5:14). The consonants are the same, and the vowel pattern is close to the original vowel pattern of this segholate noun. Writing on copper or bronze sheets has been attested from the 12th to the 2nd centuries, notably in the Copper Scroll from Qumran (3Q15), which would allow the translation “scroll” in our text (for more bibliography see D. J. A. Clines, Job [WBC], 432). But H. S. Gehman notes that in Phoenician our word can mean “inscription” (“סֵפֶר, An Inscription, in the Book of Job,” JBL 63 [1944]: 303-7), making the proposed substitution unnecessary.
Job 19:24 sn There is some question concerning the use of the lead. It surely cannot be a second description of the tool, for a lead tool would be of no use in chiseling words into a rock. It was Rashi’s idea, followed by Dillmann and Duhm, that lead was run into the cut-out letters. The suggestion that they wrote on lead tablets does not seem to fit the verse (cf. NIV). See further A. Baker, “The Strange Case of Job’s Chisel,” CBQ 31 (1969): 370-79.
Job 19:25 tn Or “my Vindicator.” The word is the active participle from גָּאַל (gaʾal, “to redeem, protect, vindicate”). The word is well-known in the OT because of its identification as the kinsman-redeemer (see the book of Ruth). This is the near kinsman who will pay off one’s debts, defend the family, avenge a killing, marry the widow of the deceased. The word “redeemer” evokes the wrong connotation for people familiar with the NT alone; a translation of “Vindicator” would capture the idea more. The concept might include the description of the mediator already introduced in Job 16:19, but surely here Job is thinking of God as his vindicator. The interesting point to be stressed here is that Job has said clearly that he sees no vindication in this life, that he is going to die. But he knows he will be vindicated, and even though he will die, his vindicator lives. The dilemma remains though: his distress lay in God’s hiding his face from him, and his vindication lay only in beholding God in peace.
Job 19:25 tn The word אַחֲרוּן (ʾakharon, “last”) has triggered a number of interpretations. Here it is an adjectival form and not adverbial; it is an epithet of the vindicator. Some commentators, followed by the RSV, change the form to make it adverbial, and translate it “at last.” T. H. Gaster translates it “even if he were the last person to exist” (“Short notes,” VT 4 [1954]: 78).
Job 19:25 tn The Hebrew has “and he will rise/stand upon [the] dust.” The verb קוּם (qum) is properly “to rise; to arise,” and certainly also can mean “to stand.” Both English ideas are found in the verb. The concept here is that of God rising up to mete out justice. And so to avoid confusion with the idea of resurrection (which although implicit in these words which are pregnant with theological ideas yet to be revealed, is not explicitly stated or intended in this context) the translation “stand” has been used. The Vulgate had “I will rise,” which introduced the idea of Job’s resurrection. The word “dust” is used as in 41:33. The word “dust” is associated with death and the grave, the very earthly particles. Job assumes that God will descend from heaven to bring justice to the world. The use of the word also hints that this will take place after Job has died and returned to dust. Again, the words of Job come to mean far more than he probably understood.
Job 19:26 tn This verse on the whole has some serious interpretation problems that have allowed commentators to go in several directions. The verbal clause is “they strike off this,” which is then to be taken as a passive in view of the fact that there is no expressed subject. Some have thought that Job was referring to this life, and that after his disease had done its worst he would see his vindication (see T. J. Meek, “Job 19:25-27, ” VT 6 [1956]: 100-103; E. F. Sutcliffe, “Further notes on Job, textual and exegetical,” Bib 31 [1950]: 377; and others). But Job has been clear—he does not expect to live and see his vindication in this life. There are a host of other interpretations that differ greatly from the sense expressed in the MT. Duhm, for example, has “and another shall arise as my witness.” E. Dhorme (Job, 284-85) argues that the vindication comes after death; he emends the verb to get a translation: “and that, behind my skin, I shall stand up.” He explains this to mean that it will be Job in person who will be present at the ultimate drama. But the interpretation is forced, and really unnecessary.
Job 19:26 tn The Hebrew phrase is “and from my flesh.” This could mean “without my flesh,” i.e., separated from my flesh, or “from my flesh,” i.e., in or with my flesh. The former view is taken by those who think Job’s vindication will come in this life, and who find the idea of a resurrection unlikely to be in Job’s mind. The latter view is taken by those who interpret the preceding line as meaning death and the next verse underscoring that it will be his eye that will see. This would indicate that Job’s faith rises to an unparalleled level at this point.
Job 19:26 tn H. H. Rowley (Job [NCBC], 140) says, “The text of this verse is so difficult, and any convincing reconstruction is so unlikely, that it seems best not to attempt it.” His words have gone unheeded, even by himself, and rightly so. There seem to be two general interpretations, the details of some words notwithstanding. An honest assessment of the evidence would have to provide both interpretations, albeit still arguing for one. Here Job says he will see God. This at the least means that he will witness his vindication, which it seems clear from the other complaints of Job will occur after his death (it is his blood that must be vindicated). But in what way, exactly, Job will see God is not clarified. In this verse the verb that is used is often used of prophetic visions, but in the next verse the plain word for seeing—with his eye—is used. The fulfillment will be more precise than Job may have understood. Rowley does conclude: “Though there is no full grasping of a belief in a worthwhile Afterlife with God, this passage is a notable landmark in the program toward such a belief.” The difficulty is that Job expects to die—he would like to be vindicated in this life, but is resolved that he will die. (1) Some commentators think that vv. 25 and 26 follow the wish for vindication now; (2) others (traditionally) see it as in the next life. Some of the other interpretations that take a different line are less impressive, such as Kissane’s, “did I but see God…were I to behold God”; or L. Waterman’s translation in the English present, making it a mystic vision in which Job already sees that God is his vindicator (“Note on Job 19:23-27: Job’s Triumph of Faith,” JBL 69 [1950]: 379-80).
Job 19:27 tn The emphasis is on “I” and “for myself.” No other will be seeing this vindication, but Job himself will see it. Of that he is confident. Some take לִי (li, “for myself”) to mean favorable to me, or on my side (see A. B. Davidson, Job, 143). But Job is expecting (not just wishing for) a face-to-face encounter in the vindication.
Job 19:27 tn Hitzig offered another interpretation that is somewhat forced. The “other” (זָר, zar) or “stranger” would refer to Job. He would see God, not as an enemy, but in peace.
Job 19:27 tn Heb “kidneys,” a poetic expression for the seat of emotions.
Job 19:27 tn Heb “fail/grow faint in my breast.” Job is saying that he has expended all his energy with his longing for vindication.
Job 19:28 tc The MT reads “in me.” If that is retained, then the question would be in the first colon, and the reasoning of the second colon would be Job’s. But over 100 mss have “in him,” and so this reading is accepted by most editors. The verse is a little difficult, but it seems to form a warning by Job that God’s appearance which will vindicate Job will bring judgment on those who persecute him and charge him falsely.
Job 19:29 tn The word “wrath” probably refers to divine wrath for the wicked. Many commentators change this word to read “they,” or more precisely, “these things.”
Job 19:29 tn The word is “iniquities,” but here as elsewhere it should receive the classification of the punishment for iniquity (a category of meaning that developed from a metonymy of effect).
Job 19:29 tc The last word is problematic because of the textual variants in the Hebrew. In place of שַׁדִּין (shaddin, “judgment”) some have proposed שַׁדַּי (shadday, “Almighty”) and read it “that you may know the Almighty” (Ewald, Wright). Some have read it יֵשׁ דַּיָּן (yesh dayyan, “there is a judge,” Gray, Fohrer). Others defend the traditional view, arguing that the שׁ (shin) is the abbreviated relative particle on the word דִּין (din, “judgment”).

1 Corinthians 6

Lawsuits

6 When any of you has a legal dispute with another, does he dare go to court before the unrighteous rather than before the saints? ²Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you not competent to settle trivial suits? ³Do you not know that we will judge angels? Why not ordinary matters! ⁴So if you have ordinary lawsuits, do you appoint as judges those who have no standing in the church?^[a] ⁵I say this to your shame! Is there no one among you wise enough to settle disputes between fellow Christians?^[b] ⁶Instead, does a Christian sue a Christian,^[c] and do this before unbelievers? ⁷The fact that you have lawsuits among yourselves demonstrates that you have already been defeated. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? ⁸But you yourselves wrong and cheat, and you do this to your brothers and sisters!^[d]

⁹Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! The sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, passive homosexual partners,^[e] practicing homosexuals,^[f] ¹⁰thieves, the greedy, drunkards, the verbally abusive,^[g] and swindlers will not inherit the kingdom of God. ¹¹Some of you once lived this way.^[h] But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ^[i] and by the Spirit of our God.

Flee Sexual Immorality

¹²“All things are lawful for me”^[j]—but not everything is beneficial. “All things are lawful for me”—but I will not be controlled by anything. ¹³“Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, but God will do away with both.”^[k] The body is not for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. ¹⁴Now God indeed raised the Lord and he will raise us by his power. ¹⁵Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Should I take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! ¹⁶Or do you not know that anyone who is united with^[l] a prostitute is one body with her?^[m] For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.”^[n] ¹⁷But the one united with^[o] the Lord is one spirit with him.^[p] ¹⁸Flee sexual immorality! “Every sin a person commits is outside of the body”^[q]—but the immoral person sins against his own body. ¹⁹Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you,^[r] whom you have from God, and you are not your own? ²⁰For you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body.

Footnotes

1 Corinthians 6:4 tn Or “if you have ordinary lawsuits, appoint as judges those who have no standing in the church!” This alternative reading (cf. KJV, NIV) takes the Greek verb καθίζετε (kathizete) as an ironic imperative instead of a question. This verb comes, however, at the end of the sentence. It is not impossible that Paul meant for it to be understood this way, but its placement in the sentence does not make this probable.
1 Corinthians 6:5 tn Grk “to decide between his brother (and his opponent),” but see the note on the word “Christian” in 5:11.
1 Corinthians 6:6 tn Grk “does a brother sue a brother,” but see the note on the word “Christian” in 5:11.
1 Corinthians 6:8 tn Grk “brothers.” The Greek term “brother” literally refers to family relationships, but here it is used in a broader sense to connote familial relationships within the family of God (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 2.a). See also the note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:10.
1 Corinthians 6:9 tn This term is sometimes rendered “effeminate,” although in contemporary English usage such a translation could be taken to refer to demeanor rather than behavior. BDAG 613 s.v. μαλακός 2 has “pert. to being passive in a same-sex relationship, effeminate esp. of catamites, of men and boys who are sodomized by other males in such a relationship.” L&N 88.281 states, “the passive male partner in homosexual intercourse—‘homosexual.’…As in Greek, a number of other languages also have entirely distinct terms for the active and passive roles in homosexual intercourse.” See also the discussion in G. D. Fee, First Corinthians (NICNT), 243-44. A number of modern translations have adopted the phrase “male prostitutes” for μαλακοί in 1 Cor 6:9 (NIV, NRSV, NLT) but this could be misunderstood by the modern reader to mean “males who sell their services to women,” while the term in question appears, at least in context, to relate to homosexual activity between males. Furthermore, it is far from certain that prostitution as commonly understood (the selling of sexual favors) is specified here, as opposed to a consensual relationship. Thus the translation “passive homosexual partners” has been used here.
1 Corinthians 6:9 tn On this term BDAG 135 s.v. ἀρσενοκοίτης states, “a male who engages in sexual activity w. a pers. of his own sex, pederast 1 Cor 6:9…of one who assumes the dominant role in same-sex activity, opp. μαλακός…1 Ti 1:10; Pol 5:3. Cp. Ro 1:27.” L&N 88.280 states, “a male partner in homosexual intercourse—‘homosexual.’…It is possible that ἀρσενοκοίτης in certain contexts refers to the active male partner in homosexual intercourse in contrast with μαλακός, the passive male partner.” Since there is a distinction in contemporary usage between sexual orientation and actual behavior, the qualification “practicing” was supplied in the translation, following the emphasis in BDAG.
1 Corinthians 6:10 tn Or “revilers”; BDAG 602 s.v. λοίδορος defines the term as “reviler, abusive person.” Because the term “abusive” without further qualification has become associated in contemporary English with both physical and sexual abuse, the qualifier “verbally” has been supplied in the translation.
1 Corinthians 6:11 tn Grk “and some [of you] were these.”
1 Corinthians 6:11 tc The external evidence in support of the reading ᾿Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ (Iēsou Christou, “Jesus Christ”) is quite impressive: P^11vid,46 א B C^vid D* P 33 81 104 365 629 630 1739 1881 2464 al lat bo as well as several fathers, while the reading with merely ᾿Ιησοῦ has significantly poorer support (A D² Ψ M sa). Although the wording of the original could certainly have been expanded, it is also possible that Χριστοῦ as a nomen sacrum could have accidentally dropped out. Although the latter is not as likely under normal circumstances, in light of the early and widespread witnesses for the fuller expression, the wording of the Ausgangstext seems to have been ᾿Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ.
1 Corinthians 6:12 sn All things are lawful for me. In the expressions in vv. 12-13 within quotation marks, Paul cites certain slogans the Corinthians apparently used to justify their behavior. Paul agrees with the slogans in part, but corrects them to show how the Corinthians have misused these ideas.
1 Corinthians 6:13 tn Grk “both this [stomach] and these [foods].”sn There is debate as to the extent of the Corinthian slogan which Paul quotes here. Some argue that the slogan is only the first sentence—“Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food”—with the second statement forming Paul’s rejoinder, while others argue that the slogan contains both sentences (as in the translation above). The argument which favors the latter is the tight conceptual and grammatical parallelism which occurs if Paul’s response begins with “The body is not for sexual immorality” and then continues through the end of v. 14. For discussion and diagrams of this structure, see G. D. Fee, First Corinthians (NICNT), 253-57.
1 Corinthians 6:16 tn Or “is in relationship with.”
1 Corinthians 6:16 tn Grk “is one body,” implying the association “with her.”
1 Corinthians 6:16 sn A quotation from Gen 2:24.
1 Corinthians 6:17 tn Grk “in relationship with.”
1 Corinthians 6:17 tn Grk “is one spirit,” implying the association “with him.”
1 Corinthians 6:18 sn It is debated whether this is a Corinthian slogan. If it is not, then Paul is essentially arguing that there are two types of sin, nonsexual sins which take place outside the body and sexual sins which are against a person’s very own body. If it is a Corinthian slogan, then it is a slogan used by the Corinthians to justify their immoral behavior. With it they are claiming that anything done in the body or through the body had no moral relevance. A decision here is very difficult, but the latter is to be preferred for two main reasons. (1) This is the most natural understanding of the statement as it is written. To construe it as a statement by Paul requires a substantial clarification in the sense (e.g., “All other sins…” [NIV]). (2) Theologically the former is more difficult: Why would Paul single out sexual sins as more intrinsically related to the body than other sins, such as gluttony or drunkenness? For these reasons, it is more likely that the phrase in quotation marks is indeed a Corinthian slogan which Paul turns against them in the course of his argument, although the decision must be regarded as tentative.
1 Corinthians 6:19 tn Grk “the ‘in you’ Holy Spirit.” The position of the prepositional phrase ἐν ὑμῖν (en humin, “in you”) between the article and the adjective effectively places the prepositional phrase in first attributive position. Such constructions are generally translated into English as relative clauses.

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M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

The Birth of the Deliverer

The Presumption of the Deliverer

The Call of the Deliverer

Footnotes

The Call of the Disciples

Healing a Leper

Healing and Forgiving a Paralytic

The Call of Levi; Eating with Sinners

The Superiority of the New

Footnotes

Job’s Reply to Bildad[a]

Job’s Abandonment and Affliction

Job’s Forsaken State

Job’s Assurance of Vindication

Footnotes

Lawsuits

Flee Sexual Immorality

Footnotes

Job’s Reply to Bildad^[a]